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Eleven books by a shoemaker of Görlitz who wrote, by his own account, because he could not help it. Ten of them stand here in the seventeenth-century English of John Sparrow, who translated Boehme within a generation of his death and whose prose is itself now four hundred years old; where that English has drifted out of reach, the facing pane carries a modern register — the same text with archaic inflection and spelling normalised by rule, never paraphrased. Nothing is reworded, and where no register appears beside a passage it is because the rules found nothing to change.
The eleventh book is not in English at all, and it is the reason this note exists.
Des trois principes de l'essence divine, printed at Paris in 1802, is the same work as Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence, which stands here as the second book — the same twenty-seven chapters in the same order, opening `Du premier principe de l'essence divine` against Sparrow's `Of the first Principle of the Divine Essence`. Its translator was Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, who gave the last years of his life to putting Boehme into French, and who has a shelf of his own in this Lycaeum.
That makes a closed circuit inside this archive, and it is worth naming plainly. Saint-Martin translates Boehme. La Iniciación, printed in Montevideo a hundred and forty years later, traces its own descent through Saint-Martin. A reader can therefore follow one thread from a German mystic of 1619, through the French philosopher who carried him into another language, to a Spanish-language monthly of the 1940s that claimed them both — and read every step of it in the original.
The two are shelved as one work rather than two because that is what they are. They are not set as facing panes: an English translation of 1619 and a French translation of 1802 are two independent readings of a lost German original, and pairing them line by line would assert a correspondence neither translator ever claimed.
1these were created before man was created, who is and signifieth the second host or army, which God created instead of expelled Lucifer, out of the place of Lucifer. Question. But now, what did the astringent or harsh quality do in Lucifer? Answer. 84. When God had thus gently incorporated it, or compacted it together, then it found and felt itself to be mighty and powerful, and saw that it had or possessed a body more beautiful than the figures were, that were without, distinct from it; thereupon it became high minded, and elevated itself in its body, and would be more severe and eager than the Salitter was, which was without, distinct from its body. 85. But seeing it [The astringent or harsh spirit] could not do anything alone,it flattered and played the hypocrite with the other spirits, so that they followed it as their father, and did all that they saw it do, each in its own quality. 86. Now being thus agreed, they generated also such a spirit, which came forth at the mouth, at the eyes, at the ears, and at the nostrils, and affected or mixed itself with the Salitter that was without, distinct from the body. 87. For the intent and purpose of the astringent or harsh quality, seeing it was so glorious, when the kernel was incorporated or compacted together out of the whole kingdom, its intent was, that it also through its spirit, which it did generate by or with the other spirits, would rule powerfully with the sharpness externally, without its own body, in the whole Salitter of God, and
2that all should stand and be in or under its own power and authority. 88. It would image, frame and form all through its own spirit which it generated, as the whole Deity did; it would have the primacy in the whole Deity: This was its purpose. 89. But seeing it could not effect this in its true natural seat, it thereupon elevated itself, and kindled itself. 90. So by this kindling it kindled its spirit also, which now went forth at the mouth, the ears, the eyes and the nostrils, as a very fierce, furious spirit, and strove against the Salitter in its [the Salitter's] place, as a furious, storming, raging lord, and kindled the Salitter, and attracted or drew all forcibly together. Thou must understand it aright. 91. The astringent or harsh quality in the spirit that went forth kindled the astringent or harsh quality which was in the place of its region, or in nature, viz. in the seventh qualifying or fountain spirit, and ruled powerfully in the astringent quality in the Salitter; and that, the astringent quality in the Salitter would not have, but strove with the sweet water against this spirit; but all would not help, the storm grew hotter and hotter, the longer the greater, till at length the astringent or harsh quality of the Salitter was kindled. 92. And so when this was done, then the storm grew so hot that the astringent quality drew the Salitter together, so that hard stones proceeded from it; whence the stones in this world have their original: and the water in the Salitter was
3also attracted or drawn together, so that it became very thick,* as it is now at present in this world. * "thick." The idea is that of density. The quality in the Salitter, that later became physical water, was " densified,"" and thus made more grossly manifest. Whence became water, as we have it. 93. But when the astringent quality was kindled in Lucifer, then it became very cold; for the coldness is its own proper spirit, and thereupon now it kindleth with its cold fire also all in the Salitter. 94. Hence the water of this world became so cold, dark and thick; and hence it is that all is become so hard and palpable, which was not so before the times of the angels. 95. This now was a great contrary will in the divine Salitter, a great battle and strife, and an eternal enmity. But now thou wilt say, Objection. God should have withstood him, that it might not have come so far. Answer. 96. O dear blind man! it was not a man nor a beast that stood here before God. But it was God against God; one strong one against another: Besides, how should God withstand him? With the friendly love? That could not avail, for Lucifer did but scorn and despise that, and would himself be God. 97. Should God withstand him then with anger or wrath, (which indeed must be done at length), then God must have kindled himself in his qualities in the Salitter, wherein king Lucifer dwelt, and must in the strong zeal or jealousy
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1these were created before man was created, who is and signifieth the second host or army, which God created instead of expelled Lucifer, out of the place of Lucifer. Question. But now, what did the astringent or harsh quality do in Lucifer? Answer. 84. When God had thus gently incorporated it, or compacted it together, then it found and felt itself to be mighty and powerful, and saw that it had or possessed a body more beautiful than the figures were, that were without, distinct from it; thereupon it became high minded, and elevated itself in its body, and would be more severe and eager than the Salitter was, which was without, distinct from its body. 85. But seeing it [The astringent or harsh spirit] could not do anything alone,it flattered and played the hypocrite with the other spirits, so that they followed it as their father, and did all that they saw it do, each in its own quality. 86. Now being thus agreed, they generated also such a spirit, which came forth at the mouth, at the eyes, at the ears, and at the nostrils, and affected or mixed itself with the Salitter that was without, distinct from the body. 87. For the intent and purpose of the astringent or harsh quality, seeing it was so glorious, when the kernel was incorporated or compacted together out of the whole kingdom, its intent was, that it also through its spirit, which it did generate by or with the other spirits, would rule powerfully with the sharpness externally, without its own body, in the whole Salitter of God, and
2that all should stand and be in or under its own power and authority. 88. It would image, frame and form all through its own spirit which it generated, as the whole Deity did; it would have the primacy in the whole Deity: This was its purpose. 89. But seeing it could not effect this in its true natural seat, it thereupon elevated itself, and kindled itself. 90. So by this kindling it kindled its spirit also, which now went forth at the mouth, the ears, the eyes and the nostrils, as a very fierce, furious spirit, and strove against the Salitter in its [the Salitter's] place, as a furious, storming, raging lord, and kindled the Salitter, and attracted or drew all forcibly together. Thou must understand it aright. 91. The astringent or harsh quality in the spirit that went forth kindled the astringent or harsh quality which was in the place of its region, or in nature, viz. in the seventh qualifying or fountain spirit, and ruled powerfully in the astringent quality in the Salitter; and that, the astringent quality in the Salitter would not have, but strove with the sweet water against this spirit; but all would not help, the storm grew hotter and hotter, the longer the greater, till at length the astringent or harsh quality of the Salitter was kindled. 92. And so when this was done, then the storm grew so hot that the astringent quality drew the Salitter together, so that hard stones proceeded from it; whence the stones in this world have their original: and the water in the Salitter was
3also attracted or drawn together, so that it became very thick,* as it is now at present in this world. * "thick." The idea is that of density. The quality in the Salitter, that later became physical water, was " densified,"" and thus made more grossly manifest. Whence became water, as we have it. 93. But when the astringent quality was kindled in Lucifer, then it became very cold; for the coldness is its own proper spirit, and thereupon now it kindleth with its cold fire also all in the Salitter. 94. Hence the water of this world became so cold, dark and thick; and hence it is that all is become so hard and palpable, which was not so before the times of the angels. 95. This now was a great contrary will in the divine Salitter, a great battle and strife, and an eternal enmity. But now thou wilt say, Objection. God should have withstood him, that it might not have come so far. Answer. 96. O dear blind man! it was not a man nor a beast that stood here before God. But it was God against God; one strong one against another: Besides, how should God withstand him? With the friendly love? That could not avail, for Lucifer did but scorn and despise that, and would himself be God. 97. Should God withstand him then with anger or wrath, (which indeed must be done at length), then God must have kindled himself in his qualities in the Salitter, wherein king Lucifer dwelt, and must in the strong zeal or jealousy
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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